TCM & diet

[Guest guest]

One of the things I most like about TCM is the recognition of individuality.

This also extends to dietary considerations. There are no " one size fits

all " herbal regiments or diets in TCM. Everything is tailored to the

individual's needs, and it's recognized that individual needs can differ

widely.

 

The Chinese viewpoint of a balanced diet is very different from that in the

West. In the Chinese system, a balanced diet is one which includes all 5

tastes - spicy, sour, bitter, sweet, and salty. Foods and herbs which have

a particular taste tend to have particular properties. For example, bitter

herbs and foods tend to be drying and Cold. This tends to make them good

for treating Damp Heat conditions, but contraindicated for people who are

too Cold and/or too Dry. Many of them have antibiotic-like properties. On

the other hand, the herbs and foods with a salty taste tend to be warming

and moistening. This tends to make them great for treating people who

suffer from Cold and Dryness, but they should be used caustiously in people

who are Hot and Damp.

 

In addition to the 5 basic flavors, a bland taste is recognized. These

herbs and foods tend to have the effect of being able to go places in the

body where other tastes cannot go and of draining Dampness. Also, some

authorities differentiate between sour and astringent instead of lumping

both these tastes under sour. Sour-tasting herbs and foods tend to have

heating energy and be moistening. Astrigent herbs and foods tend to be

cooling and drying. (These remarks about taste are general because there

are exceptions.)

 

A food or herb can have more than one taste. For example, the herb Wu Wei

Zi is prized becaused it contains all 5 tastes. In fact, its name

translates as Five Flavor Seed. (The pharmaceutical name is Fructus

Schizandrae. Aka schizandra.)

 

The Chinese idea of a balanced diet is one which includes all 5 tastes.

But, the ratio of those tastes are going to vary according the the

individual's needs and the season of the year. A person who is Yang

Deficient is going to need a higher proportion of foods with Yang energy

than other people do. These Yang energy foods will supply Yang energy s/he

lacks and help the person obtain balance. On the other hand, a person who

is Yin Deficient will need a higher proportion of foods with Yin energy. A

person with Dampness problems needs to go easy on the foods and herbs with

sweet, salty, and/or sour tastes because these tend to be moistening. A

person with Dampness problems does not need an excessive amount of foods and

herbs with moistening qualities adding to the Dampness. On the other hand,

these foods and tastes can be great for some people suffering from Dryness.

(There are exceptions. Everything is carefully tailored for the individual.

You also still have to keep in mind if the person is too Hot or too Cold.

Even though they all three tend to moisten, salty and sour tend to be

heating, but sweet tends to be cooling. Sour tends to be more heating than

salty so one really needs to watch out for sour in cases of Damp Heat. )

 

On the other hand, the foods with astrigent, spicy, and bitter tastes can be

great for people who are too Damp but good for people who are too Dry.

Again, you also consider the thermal energy. The astringent herbs and foods

tend to be cooling, the bitter herbs even more so than the astringent, and

the spicy herbs and foods tend to be very heating.

 

From the preceding paragraphs, it's obvious that a large part of TCM is

balancing opposites out. Balance Yang Deficiency with herbs and foods rich

in Yang energy. Eat more Yang foods during the winter, the most Yin time of

the year, and eat more Yin foods during the summer, the most Yang time of

the year. But sometimes, it's appropriate to be in tune with the season -

eating Yin foods during the winter and Yang foods during the summer. TCM is

tailored to individual needs.

 

In general, meats tend to be Yang and veggies tend to be Yin. But the way

food is prepared also affects the amount of Yang or Yin energy it has.

Frying tends to increase Yang, and steaming tends to increase Yin. Thus,

stir-fried veggies are more Yang than steamed veggies. A person who is Yang

Deficient would tend to stir-fry the vegetables s/he eats whereas a person

who is Yin Deficient would tend to benefit from eating more steamed veggies

than stir-fried ones. Food which is served cooked and warm are more warming

than foods which are raw and cold. For example, celery which is cooked in a

stir-fried dish which is served warm is going to be more warming and more

Yang than celery served raw in a cold salad.

 

In addition, certain tastes have an affinity for certain Organ systems in

the body. For example, the salty taste has an affinity for the Kidneys (and

Bladder). Sometimes dishes are salted in order to get the properties of the

food to the Kidneys. It's also a common practice for a person who has

certain Kidney imbalances to take a little salt along with herbal teas which

are tonic to the Kidneys. Sour tends to have an affinity for the Liver and

Gall Bladder. (Want to really watch this one in cases of gall stones or Damp

Heat affecting the Liver.) Bitter has an affinity for the Heart and Small

Intestine, spicy for the Lungs and Large Intestine, and sweet for the Spleen

(aka Spleen-Pancreas) and Stomach. (Note: These are very, very general

guidelines.)

 

There are no absolutely forbidden foods or " one size fits all " diets in TCM.

Sometimes even sugar is included in an herbal formula because the person

needs it. (This almost never happens in the U.S., but in other countries

sugar can be a medicine for some individuals. It's so excessive in the U.S.

that here it often is a " poison " .)

 

Even in the West there aren't really any " one size fits all " diets, just

people the mistaken belief that we're all the same - like interchangable

parts on a factory line. For example, salt is harmful for many people and

will raise blood pressure in many individuals. These people will benefit

from a low salt diet. But a low salt diet can have a devastating effect on

people with adrenal insufficiency or Neurally Mediated Hypotension. Most

people need to drink more water, but some people - like those with epilepsy

- can be harmed by this practice (if they aren't very careful to eat

something at the same time, even if it's just a cracker). Some people

require more fat in the diet than others. Children in particular can

develop health and growth problems when overzealous parents limit fat intake

too much in their diets. Some people have greater than normal needs for

certain vitamins or minerals because of genetics or because of an assault to

their systems. A shortage of iodine can cause goiter, but too much can

trigger some cases of hyperthyroidism. Etc.

 

Victoria

 

 

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